Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
Florida International University Fall 2016
Global and Sociocultural Studies Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30-10:45 AM
GEA 2000 U02 (#: 82055) Classroom: PG5 – 155
World Regional Geography
Instructor: Young Rae (‘Rae’) Choi
Email: [email protected]
Office: TBD
Mailbox: TBD
Office hours: Tuesdays 1:00-3:00 PM or by appointment
Course description
This course will provide an introductory overview of world regions from a geographic perspective. Geography has a rich heritage of investigating the relationships between people and places. We will learn key concepts and critical perspectives in geography such as place, space, globalization and development that we will use to understand the history and current issues of each region and between regions. Connection is another word that you may want to remember throughout this course. We will explore many different levels of connections between people and places and examine how these connections are constructed, maintained, and changed. By the end of the semester, you will be able to contextualize global issues (whether environmental, economic, political, social, or a combination of these) and use this knowledge to better understand different places and understand the complexity of world regions in global context. The course fulfills the Global Learning Foundations requirement and the University Core Curriculum requirement for Foundations of Social Inquiry. GEA 2000 is designed to “investigate social, political, and economic configurations; cultural and psychological features of human life; gender, race/ethnicity, and social class; consciousness and identity; social interactions with the natural environment; and local, national, and global aspects of the human world.”
Learning objectives and outcomes
1) Building foundational knowledge:
know where important world features are located and be able to describe them
understand key geographic concepts and vocabulary
know important structures, happenings, and flows that impact your world 2) Applying your knowledge:
spatial thinking ◦ applying geographic thinking to our everyday lives and our world ◦ recognizing connections and relationships between places, people, and social and
environmental processes ◦ understanding maps
critical thinking ◦ questioning your assumptions and those of others
2
◦ considering multiple viewpoints ◦ tolerating ambiguity (sometimes there is no right answer)
communication skills ◦ understanding and analyzing past and current events ◦ being able to thoughtfully articulate complex ideas
human dimensions of geographic knowledge: ◦ improving understanding of yourself and others as part of your community and the world
Resources Required reading (a.k.a. textbook): Marston, S.A., P.L. Knox, D.M. Liverman, V.L. Casino, and P. Robbins. 2016. World Regions in Global Context: Peoples, Places, and Environments, 6th edition (ISBN-13: 978-0134183640), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall *Alternatively, you may use the 5th Edition (ISBN-13: 978-0321821058). Additional readings are mandatory and will be posted on Blackboard. Software: - Google Earth: http://www.google.com/earth/index.html - Google Maps: https://maps.google.com/maps/myplaces Film/documentary: - Culture unplugged: http://www.cultureunplugged.com/festival/films.php#view=thumb
Course structure Lectures: There are two lectures per week. Students are required to attend all scheduled class periods and will be responsible for all material presented in lecture during exams. There will be material presented in class that is not found in the readings, so students must make arrangements to get any information they may have missed. Readings: In lieu of a textbook, the required readings for the course are book chapters, articles, websites, etc., all of which are available on Blackboard. Readings will complement, not repeat, the lectures, and students are accountable for all assigned readings on the exams. The required readings for each day are noted on the course schedule. Please read each day’s listed reading before class that day. Blackboard: This course uses the Blackboard system as a course webpage (https://ecampus.fiu.edu/). Along with additional readings, weekly quizzes and other announcements will be posted here. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have access to the site and know how to use it. If you experience problems with accessing Blackboard, contact ETS in the Green Library for support (GL 152a).
Course evaluation
Graded Item % of Grade Comments 1. Midterm Exam I 15% Sep 27; cover material from weeks 1-5 2. Midterm Exam II 15% Nov 1; cover material from weeks 6-10 3. Final Exam 20% Dec 6; comprehensive 4. Infographic project 15% See below for description
3
4. Weekly quizzes (12) 24% See below for description 5. Attendance and 11% See below for description Participation Infographic project: You will have one outside-of-class assignment for the semester that will require you to choose a region, investigate a specific political/economic/social/cultural issue, and create an infographic of your own. The instructions will be handed out during the week after the mid-term I. The paper is due on December 8 (by 5 pm). You may submit it earlier if you wish. Weekly quizzes: There will be twelve weekly quizzes to test your geographic understanding of world regions and key geographic concepts. All will test your knowledge of and ability to apply materials from lectures, readings and films. Each quiz will cover material from the part of the course preceding it and is due by 11:59 P.M. Tuesday (except mid-term Tuesdays). Attendance and Participation: Your grade for attendance and participation will be determined based on your presence in class and your contributions to discussion. Attendance will be measured by your submission of random pop quizzes at the beginning of class. If you are late and unable to take a quiz, you will get half point for attendance that day. Grade scale (standard)
Class policies
Attendance In general, no in-class activity or exam can be made up, and no late work will be accepted. However, if you ABSOLUTELY must miss class, you must notify myself before the date and get approval. Unexcused absence will only be made for serious reasons (i.e., emergency, death of the immediate family, acute illness). In either case, official documentation is required. Exceptions to this policy will be given no make-up for exams, assignment, or class attendance. Electronic device Phones are to be turned off during class. You may use a laptop for taking notes. Do not take pictures of lecture slides.
Letter Grade Percentage
A 93-100%
A- 90-92.99%
B+ 87-89.99%
B 83-86.99%
B- 80-82.99%
C+ 77-79.99%
C 73-76.99%
C- 70-72.99%
D+ 67-69.99%
D 60-66.99%
F Less than 60%
4
Plagiarism and academic misconduct Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the academic community must be confident that each person’s work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. The academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that range from probation to expulsion. If I suspect that a student has committed academic misconduct in this course, I am obligated by University Rules to report my suspicions to the Academic Integrity Committee. If you have any questions about the above policy or what constitutes academic misconduct in this course, please contact me or consult FIU academic misconduct webpage at http://academic.fiu.edu/academicbudget/misconductweb/1acmisconductproc.htm .
University resources Students with Disabilities Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the Disability Resource center at 305-348-3532 in GC 190 (http://studentaffairs.fiu.edu/student-success/disability-resource-center/) to coordinate reasonable accommodations. Counseling and Psychological Services
If you suffer from stress, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, interpersonal concerns or alcohol use that damages your academic performance, you are not alone. Students who have these issues are encouraged to contact the Counseling and Psychological Services at 305-348-2277 in SHC 270 ( http://studentaffairs.fiu.edu/wellness/counseling-and-psychological-services/services/index.php).
5
Schedule of readings and assignments *Additional readings for each week are posted separately on Blackboard.
Week Date Theme Reading Assignment
Week 1 August 23 Introduction • Course syllabus
• (5th edition) Ch. 1, pp. 1-7
August 25 Earth & environment • (5th edition) Ch. 1, pp. 8-21
“Environment and Society”
Week 2 August 30 Key concepts and theories • (5th edition) Ch. 1, pp. 21-45
“History, economy, and territory”
Weekly quiz #1 (Blackboard)
September 1 Film
Week 3 September 6 Europe I • Ch. 2 “Europe” Weekly quiz #2 (Blackboard)
September 8 Europe II
Week 4 September 13 Middle East & North Africa
I
• Ch. 4 “Middle East & North Africa” Weekly quiz #3 (Blackboard)
September 15 Middle East & North Africa
II
Week 5 September 20 Sub-Saharan Africa I • Ch. 5 “Sub-Saharan Africa” Weekly quiz #4 (Blackboard)
September 22 Sub-Saharan Africa II
Week 6 September 27 Mid-term I (week 1-5)
September 29 Film
Week 7 October 4 Russian Federation and
Central Asia I
• Ch. 3 “The Russian Federation,
Central Asia, and the Transcaucasus
Weekly quiz #5 (Blackboard)
October 6 Russian Federation and
Central Asia II
Week 8 October 11 East Asia I • Ch. 8 “East Asia” Weekly quiz #6 (Blackboard)
October 13 East Asia II
Week 9 October 18 South Asia I • Ch. 9 “South Asia” Weekly quiz #7 (Blackboard)
October 20 South Asia II
Week 10 October 25 South East Asia I • Ch. 10 “Southeast Asia” Weekly quiz #8 (Blackboard)
6
October 27 South East Asia II
Week 11 November 1 Mid-term II (week 6-10)
November 3 Film
Week 12 November 8 U.S. & Canada I • Ch. 6 “The U.S. and Canada” Weekly quiz #9 (Blackboard)
November 10 U.S. & Canada II
Week 13 November 15 Latin America and the
Caribbean I
• Ch. 7 “Latin America and the
Caribbean”
Weekly quiz #10 (Blackboard)
November 17 Latin America and the
Caribbean II
Week 14 November 22 Oceania I • Ch. 11 “Oceania” or (4th edition)
“Australia, New Zealand, and the
South Pacific”
Weekly quiz #11 (Blackboard)
November 24 No class Thanksgiving holiday
Week 15 November 29 Oceania II • Ch. 11 “Oceania” or (4th edition)
“Australia, New Zealand, and the
South Pacific”
Weekly quiz #12 (Blackboard)
December 1 Review
Week 16 December 6 Final exam
(comprehensive)
December 8 No class Infographic project due (5 pm)
